Bhutan Peoples’ Party (BPP) at Birtamode, Jhapa Nepal, organized the commemoration in exile. The programme started with the video taped interview of the Late Leader, which had been transmitted around two weeks before his murder. This has provided an elaborated concept and insight of the Bhutanese refugee problem to the people. It followed the recordings of funeral and cremation. More than 500 persons attended the programme. Mr. Gopal Gurung, the central committee member of the party was the master of ceremony.

The programme started at around 1.30 pm. And ended by 5.30 pm. Mr. Balaram Poudyel, the working President of the party was the chairperson. The CPN (UML) Foreign Bureau Chief, Mr. Hiranyalal Shrestha was the chief guest.


The programme started observing a minute silence in honor of the known and unknown Martyrs of the Bhutanese movement followed by a salutation of the Karate Club students and youths of Khudunabari camp. The song "Sradanjali Mero Rajkumar" have touched the heart of the people and filled the eyes of all. The tone of song in the form of lightening and thunder requesting all Bhutanese to crawl till we achieve our goal have stunned the people.


Mr. Jagirman Lama, General Secretary of BPP presented a brief statement on the life of Late Budathoki. He was born in 1957 and lost his mother in childhood. He was grown with many hardships in his life. He had served the Royal government of Bhutan at different capacity for 15 years. He was an Assistant Director to Revenue and Customs department when he left the country for a greater cause of the Bhutanese people. He left forever the Bhutanese people, with lot more pain to his wife and three sons. He appraised that Late Budathoki had to sacrifice his life for the cause of Bhutanese people working hard to put up an integrated struggle for freedom and peace.


The Jhapa district President of Nepali Congress, Mr. Sudhir Siwakoti paid homage to Budathoki on behalf of his party. He expressed that the democratic struggle would be very difficult and long. The people have to sacrifice themselves struggling against the anti-democratic forces even in a peaceful struggle for democracy.


The General Secretary of Bhutan National Democratic Party (BNDP) paid the homage on behalf of the party and stressed to analyze ourselves in terms of achieving our goal and develop working relationship and strategies among the Bhutanese organizations.


Mr. Rinzin, the General Secretary of Druk National Congress (DNC) expressed homage on behalf of his party and stressed on the need to aware every family to come together to overcome the anti-democratic forces which have snatched away a true son of Bhutan. We must be tackling the present situation, thinking for our generations, acting together to uproot the anti-democratic forces and meet to pay homage to late Budathoki in a democratic Bhutan.


Mr. Ashok Pokhrel, the president of the Jhapa Bar Association, highlighted on the court hearing on the murder case of late Budathoki. He felt that Ram Chandra Subedi, the murderer, a young boy is a hammer in a designed conspiracy. He is of the opinion that the final legal judgement is yet to come but the Bhutanese people could give the judgement on the murder of Budathoki by overcoming all obstacles and achieving the dream of late leader i.e. a democratic Bhutan.


The chairman of BRRRC, Mr. S. B. Subba, expressed the need of political parties to work together inside Bhutan paying his homage to late leader.


The Progressive Art Club presented a photograph (painting) of late leader to the chairperson of the programme, Mr. Balaram Poudyel.


The Birta Jaycees, President, Mr. Yubaraj Dahal recollected the memories of the days spent with late Budathoki when he was a student about ten years back. He pointed out the oneness of the Bhutanese people in the beginning that they used to say our shirt, pant, slippers etc. Paying homage to the late leader, he expressed to help the democratic movement within his ability and limits.


The Eastern Zonal President of the Private Boarding Schools Organization of Nepal (PABSON), Mr. Hari Kumar Parsai, paying homage to the late leader stressed on the need of the integrated Democratic movement, which must have been a biggest worry of late R. K. Budathoki based on his statement put up on the banners and posters. He also suggested to empower the Bhutanese youths and students with democratic aspirations. He further said that every person’s hands must be strong, should have determination and every head must be thinking and analyzing.


Mr. Madhav Bidroi of Patrakar Mahasang expressed the need to pressurize the Bhutanese Political Party to come together by the Bhutanese people.


Mr. Kishore Rai, the General Secretary of HUROB recollected the bygone days spent with late Budathoki and expressed to fulfill his dream to pay a real homage.


Mr. Govinda Koirala, as eminent personal and a well wisher who have observed the Bhutanese movement closely since the pouring of refugees to Nepal has paid a homage to late Budathoki. He expressed that late Budathoki’s death a conspired political murder using an ignorant boy. He stressed, let the murderers know that the philoshopy and ideology of late Budathoki would never ever die. The youths and students should be given right direction and help them to overcome the frustration installing a peaceful democratic heart strong enough to fight the anti-social and anti-democratic forces.


The Jhapa district President of Nepal Trade Union Congress, Mr. Deepak Tamang, paid homage to late Budathoki and reflected on the various history of democratic movement. He stressed that the real homage to late Budathoki would be to achieve the goal i.e. repatriation and democracy in Bhutan.


Jashoda Budathoki, the widow of late Budathoki, thanked everybody who has helped her to overcome the grief. She requested all the people to unite and struggle to achieve the Bhutanese peoples aspiration.


The General Secretary of PFHRB, Mr. D. P. Kafley, requested all the political parties to come together and lead a peaceful democratic movement. The Human Rights activists would join the struggle.


Mr. Nandi K. S. Neopaney, the president of Federation of Bhutanese Trade Unions’ (FOBTU), paid homage and reflected on the meetings he had with the late leader. Late Budathoki was of the opinion that one should get people support through service to them. He expressed that let us all plant our members inside Bhutan so that we could be able to strengthen ourselves to achieve the goal.


The RWF coordinator, Mrs. Garima Adhikari, expressed that the pain and grief of Jasodha is also of all Bhutanese women. Her tears are ours. She paid homage to late leader and expressed sympathy to Mrs. Jasodha and the family.


The president of GRINSO, Mr. Pramod Kaphlay, expressed homage stating that the late leader has become immortal as he could do so much in a short span of time which many people could not achieve in a long duration of time. Let us all establish the late leader as democratic leader of Bhutan not only a leader of BPP. The children’s art of Bhutanese National flag, King Jigme Singye Wangchuk and late Budathoki pasted on the wall shows your big heart and respect for the nation and the leaders. He recollected that R. K. Budathoki used to say that "my people will keep me safe and secure" when asked of his security. He further said that the refugee problem is a problem between the Bhutanese people and the Bhutanese government. Therefore, HMG Nepal should withdraw from the talk. He informed the house on the adoc committee formed to establish BRSG. He put forward to everybody to print a book in the memory of late leader so that the present and the future generation would remember their great freedom fighter, leader and a true son of Bhutan.


Hiranya Lal Shrestha, the Foreign Beureau Chief of the CPN (UML), who had been to Bhutan as a Journalist, a member of HMG Nepal team on bilateral talk on refugee issue, a member of MP on goodwill visit and a member in the visit of opposition leader of Nepal. Paying homage to the late leader he said that he is a well wisher of Bhutan so he wishes to see a democratic Bhutan. He further said that the Lhotshampa had been settled in Bhutan since 12 generations and how could the 4th generation King prove them as illegal and non-Bhutanese.


Bhutan is a multicultural and multi-racial country therefore democracy is must for Bhutan for her development and peaceful existence. He further said that CPN (UML) would like to establish people to people relation, organizational relation and diplomatic relation i.e. government to government.


He is optimistic that the late leader’s dream will be fulfilled as 99% of the Bhutanese refugees would like to go back to Bhutan, based on latest survey of HMG Nepal, even after facing such torture, trauma and difficulty of living in exile. Let us all pay our homage to the leader by having a democratic Bhutan.


Mr. Balaram Poudyal, the chairperson of the programme, thanked everybody and the organizing committee for sparing their time and making the programme successful. He is optimistic that we will have an integrated struggle to achieve our goal and fulfill the dream of our beloved leader. He thus declared the programme adjourned.



Thanks,

D.P.Kafley,

General Secretary, PFHRB.




________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________


Peoples Forum for Human Rights, Bhutan (PFHRB)
Office in Exile:- Anarmani-4, Birtamod, Jhapa Nepal. Tele : 00977-23-40824.
PFHRB is a pioneer H/R Organization formed under the Chairmanship of Mr. Tek Nath Rizal.
It campaigns for an early Solution of about ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND Bhutanese who have evicted forcefully by he Bhutanese authorities